Graham’s 2026 Annual Meeting

On May 28th, we hosted our monumental 220th Annual Meeting! As we continue a year full of celebrations honoring Graham’s 220th anniversary, it was only fitting to gather for this time-honored tradition started by our founders in the early 1800s. And indeed, what a historic meeting it was!  

In a moment worthy of the standing ovation it received, Georgia Wall, Senior Vice Chair and Chair Emeritus on Graham’s Board of Directors, and her husband, Don Gogel, announced a historic $5 million gift to revitalize our Tremont Youth & Family Center in the Bronx! I was moved to tears by Georgia and Don’s generosity and immediately found myself picturing how the space will transform into a vibrant community-led center thanks to their magnificent financial support. 

In Georgia’s honor, fellow Board member John Sargent made a substantial gift to our Thrive Fund, which was started by Georgia in 2020 to support Graham staff experiencing financial hardship. 

Following the exciting announcement, we paid a touching tribute to Georgia’s legacy at Graham, as she prepares to step down from the Board after 33 years of service—19 of which were as Board Chair. We honored Georgia’s legacy of leadership at Graham through passionate speeches from former President & CEOs Jess Dannhauser and Poul Jensen, and Board Co-Chair Rich Rothman. I shared how tremendously meaningful Georgia’s support has been to Graham and to me personally. The celebration of Georgia concluded with an emotional harp performance by my daughter, Cassie Watson Francillon. 

The spirit of philanthropy in the room dovetailed perfectly with theme of the annual meeting: “From Founders to Future: The Evolution of Graham’s Impact.” Each year, we invite members of the Graham community to a meeting with our Board of Directors to hear organization updates that drive us toward achieving our Vision. This year, we recognized the essential role that philanthropy has played in sustaining Graham and helping us grow in our support of children, families, and communities.

Guest speaker Sandy Fernández, Global Head of Philanthropy and Community Impact at BNY, lifted up Graham’s shared history with BNY, with founders coming from the same household—Alexander Hamilton for BNY and Eliza Hamilton for Graham. He emphasized the role of philanthropy in closing the distance between reality and possibility by providing opportunities for imagination to shape the future. He highlighted Graham’s focus on community–led innovation and how those with lived experience know best which changes are needed to support their dreams. Daphne Halpern, Chief Development Officer at Graham, presented on the history of Western philanthropy—tracing the through line of generosity and charitable giving from the ancient Greeks to Graham’s founders in 1806, to early American and present-day women philanthropic change-makers, including Madam C.J. Walker, Ima Hogg, Rihanna, and Georgia Wall.

We also had the honor of celebrating Board Co-Chair Richard Rothman and Board members Evan Grayer and Eyal Shemesh on their milestone legacy years of service with Graham!

In addition to these presentations, tributes, and awards, we conducted traditional Annual Meeting business—I presented the President & CEO’s report, we heard an updated Treasurer’s report, and we received updates from a Board subcommittee and a staff representative about ongoing work to uphold our Pillars of Respect, Grow, Thrive, and Lead.

As we celebrate 220 years of support for children, families, and communities, I am more grateful than ever to have the full confidence of our Board of Directors, staff, funders, and community members. Together, we are listening and innovating to provide truly helpful help™ to our New York neighbors—I know our founders Isabella Graham, Eliza Hamilton, Joanna Bethune, and Sarah Hoffman would be proud!

View photos from our milestone 220th Annual Meeting below.